Warminster's Important Infantry Weapons Collection.

Recent civilian visitors to Warminster's Land Warfare Centre were given a tour of the Infantry Weapons Collection housed in the Centre. 

Every type of infantry weapon that has been used by the British Army from 1688 to the present day is there as part of a collection made up of  3,000 individual pieces of kit.  The earliest rifle dating from 1575 is there together with a comprehensive sample of most foreign weapons over this historical period. 

Retired infantry major, John Oldfield, who has been connected with the collection for 20 years says, "I personally regard it as the most important collection of small arms in the country, possibly even Western Europe."

"Soldiers come here in order to learn about modern weapons but one of the most valuable weapons we have is an early breach loading Ferguson Rifle which was recovered from the Battle of King's Mount in the United States in 1780."

The collection is open to the public by appointment only

(Opening Hours 0930 -1630 hours

Tuesday to Thursday (inclusive).

Accompanied visits can be arranged by contacting the Booking Clerk at 

Officer

IC Infantry & SASC Weapons Collection,

HQ

SASC,

Land

Warfare Centre,

Warminster,

Wiltshire

BA12 0DJ

  Tel 

01985 222487 or email regsec@sasc-comrades.co.uk

A full tour takes two and a half hours and at the end of it a donation is asked for from those attending.